Richard Woodman Books In Order
Publication Order of James Dunbar Books
Waterfront | (1995) | |
Under Sail | (1998) |
Publication Order of Nathaniel Drinkwater Books
An Eye of the Fleet | (1981) | |
A King’s Cutter | (1982) | |
A Brig of War | (1983) | |
The Bomb Vessel | (1985) | |
The Corvette / Arctic Treachery | (1985) | |
1805 | (1985) | |
Baltic Mission | (1986) | |
In Distant Waters | (1988) | |
A Private Revenge | (1989) | |
Under False Colours | (1991) | |
The Flying Squadron | (1992) | |
Beneath the Aurora | (2001) | |
The Shadow of the Eagle | (2002) | |
Ebb Tide | (2002) |
Publication Order of William Kite Books
The Guineaman | (2000) | |
The Privateersman | (2000) | |
The East Indianman | (2001) |
Publication Order of Kit Faulkner Books
A Ship for The King | (2011) | |
For King or Commonwealth | (2012) | |
The King’s Chameleon | (2013) |
Publication Order of Sword of the State Books
The Forging | (2014) | |
The Tempering | (2015) | |
The Wielding | (2015) |
Publication Order of Tales of the Sea Books
Cold Truth | (2020) | |
An Absence of Imagination: A Tale of the China coast | (2021) | |
The Judgement of his Peers | (2021) | |
Magnetic Anomaly | (2021) | |
Unintended Consequences | (2021) | |
The Petrel’s Cry | (2023) |
Publication Order of William Marshal Books
The Knight Banneret | (2018) | |
The King’s Knight | (2018) | |
Guardian of the Realm | (2018) |
Publication Order of A History of the British Merchant Navy Books
Neptune’s Trident | (2008) | |
Britannia’s Realm | (2009) | |
More Days, More Dollars | (2010) | |
Fiddler’s Green | (2010) | |
Masters Under God | (2016) |
Publication Order of Keepers of the Sea Books
Keepers of the Sea | (1983) | |
View from the Sea | (1985) | |
The Arctic Convoys | (1994) | |
The History of the Ship | (1997) | |
The Victory of Seapower | (1998) | |
The Story Of Sail | (1999) | |
Malta Convoys | (2000) | |
The Sea Warriors | (2001) | |
The Lighthouses of Trinity House | (2002) | |
The Real Cruel Sea | (2004) | |
A Brief History of Mutiny | (2005) | |
.. Of Daring Temper | (2006) | |
The Battle of the River Plate | (2008) | |
The Merchant Navy | (2013) | |
Cold War Command | (2014) | |
A Low Set of Blackguards | (2016) | |
Revolution! | (2017) | |
Light Upon the Waters | (2020) |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Decision at Trafalgar | (1985) | |
Voyage East | (1988) | |
Wager | (1990) | |
the Darkening Sea | (1991) | |
Endangered Species | (1992) | |
The Accident | (1995) | |
Act of Terror | (1996) | |
The Antigone | (1997) | |
Captain of the Caryatid | (1998) | |
Cruise of the Commissioner | (1999) | |
The Captain & The Commissioner | (1999) | |
Dead Man Talking | (2002) | |
Blue Funnel Voyage East | (2002) | |
The Ice Mask | (2003) | |
Disastrous Voyage of the Santa Margarita | (2009) | |
Beyond Madagascar | (2019) | |
A River in Borneo | (2021) |
Richard Woodman is an English author of naval history, historical fiction and nonfiction books. Born in 1944 London, he became a midmanship at the age of 16 and sailed in a variety of ships. He won the Marine Society’s Harmer Award in 1978.
An Eye of the Fleet
An Eye of the fleet, the debut novel in Nathaniel Drinkwater series narrates about the life of Nathaniel Drinkwater’s presence at sea. His experience in the sea starts when the HMS Cyclops kidnap Santa Teresa during senior commander Rodney’s battle in 1780. Drinkwater’s boldness and resourcefulness are tested when the Cyclops pursues the American warship that is threatening trading activities in Britain. The Cyclops are later sent to the South Carolina swamps where many people are killed both at the land and the sea.
Eventually, Drinkwater manages to graduate to a very able and self-confident sailor. As he faces the enemy soldiers and their brutality, he gets more strength and support from his lover, Elizabeth. Drinkwater gains the confidence and ability from his experience in action and his hard life in Cyclops, which assist him while facing the midshipman mess and the evil influence of Morris, the senior midshipman. He faces many challenges with a bully in his group as he tries to learn about his duties and chooses to do the right.
The book’s protagonist, Drinkwater, starts his job just before the French revolutionary. He begins his career at a late age according to that time as he is 17 years as the story begins.
The author does an excellent job of portraying the culture Drinkwater is subjected. He shows us the origin of his hatred with Morris, his elder brother that will later develop in the next novel in the series. Drinkwater is ready to learn from anyone who appears to be resourceful for him to increase his confidence and performance, which will endure painful efforts.
An Eye of the Fleet does not end dramatically, but its conclusion shows how Drinkwater is ready to accept whatever will happen next after he leaves his childish behaviour behind. The book has some stern elements where some include adult themes, a lot of adventure and action.
Richard Woodman weaves his words beyond earnest knowledge of the terminologies used in the sea. His descriptions are breathtaking, which will make you appreciate after reading. The story is engaging and easy to read, keeping you glued on your seat as you flip the pages. The novel is entertaining, marking a good start for the series showing the events encountered by the British warship in the course of the American revolutionary war.
The characters are well developed throughout the book, and it shows several wars at sea and the near encounters that lead to boarding and the regaining of prize ships.
The King’s Cutter
The King’s Cutter is the second book in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series whose primary focus is the life of the British army in the late 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. The book’s story happens about 11 Years after the debut book in the series.
During the time of interceding, Drinkwater has already married and has gotten a job away from the royal navy. He is now working in aboard vessels in a non-navy organization, the Trinity House which manages the lighthouses and the tests of the people interested in becoming masters in the navy ships.
After the 11 years, Drinkwater is given a job of a cutter, and HMS Kestrel as the acting lieutenant, the second from Griffiths who is now old and he will not make it be a captain. HMS Kestrel does various intelligence ventures on the French coast where they land the agents and also rescuing others who are likely to live under the French government.
The king’s Cutter covers the time 1792 to 1797 showing the British mutinies and ends with a war of camper down where the British outdo the Dutch navy which has partnered with the French. Both Drinkwater and kestrel play essential roles in all the events that lead to their victory.
The author does a great job in describing the naval wars in all the events making it easier for the reader to understand fast. The characters are well developed as we see Tregembo, a seaman becoming loyal to his mate, Drinkwater. The book is excellent and recommendable to the lovers of British fiction in the naval field. The novel is engaging enough with the sailing scenes and character interests distributed with the necessity of their actions keeping the reader thrilled.
It is quite refreshing to see how a character is not given promotion, fame or even termed as successful, but he does not bother complaining at any point.
The Guineaman
The Guineaman is the debut novel in the William Kite series. The book’s protagonist, William Kite, was born in a rural town in England where later he is accused of killing a young lady and this forces him to flee to a port in Bristol. While in the harbour he happens to meet the captain of a slave vessel who gives him a job as a surgeon of the ship.
While he is given the job offer, the kite is not aware that the ship carries out slave trade and now that he is desperate to run away to England, he accepts. Kite is shocked by how he sees the slaves being treated after the arrival in the West African coast and also in the West Indies.
As time pass, he falls in love with an African woman, later buys her and sets her free when the ship arrives in Antigua. The story goes on until Kite is chosen as the captain of a boat. The book gives many stories about life in the sea, showing the wars fought there. The story is touching, showing how life and relationship grow between kite and Puella, the African lady. The story is engaging from the beginning as the reader is swept to the actions of William kite and his exciting adventures.
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